Diets are used to help lose weight, but there is a thing called a bad diet. Even the most healthiest of diets can cause issues for the digestive system if followed way too rigorously. Here are six ways that your diet is affecting your digestive system, and not in a good way.
You’re Getting Too Much Fibre
Your body needs fibre to help the digestive system, but every meal does not need to include it. The truth is that you can eat too much of it, and this can create further problems for your body. Fibre helps to keep the bowel movements regular and comfortable. If you eat too much, you can become constipated, suffer from bloating and even struggle with absorbing all the nutrients in your food.
Allergic to Dairy Products
Some people are allergic to dairy products, while others are intolerant to them. The problem is many diets consist of some sort of dairy to make sure you get your calcium intake.
If you take diet shakes or bars, they will usually include dairy sources to make sure you get some into your system. You may never know you’re intolerant until it comes to eating more, and then you’ll start to feel bloated and have stomach aches.
Too Much Change Too Quickly
If you make a sudden change to your diet, your digestive system is going to struggle. It has become so used to eating one type of diet that a sudden change throws it out of sync.
It can struggle to break down all the food that you’re eating, even if it is healthier. It’s best to make small changes on a regular basis, so your digestive system gets used to your changes.
Too Much Wheat or Gluten
If you eat a lot of wheat, you’ll find that it could cause digestive problems. Wheat is actually the most common complaint because so many are now gluten intolerant. This means you have to cut out your bread, flour and many other products that you never really considered in the past.
Continually eating them will cause bloating and discomfort, and it’s generally just not worth it. There are alternatives that taste just as food, if not better, and now many companies are creating gluten and wheat free food.
Not Drinking Enough Water
Your body needs fluid to survive and digest food. That means you need to drink water on a daily basis. Of course, that water can be mixed with fruit juices, squash and tea or coffee so you enjoy it.
If you find that your stomach is aching, it may be worth trying to drink a glass of water.
Not Eating Enough
Surprisingly, not eating enough can cause your digestive problems. Your body needs something to break down, otherwise it is going to try and get the acid from the stomach.
This can cause problems along the intestinal walls, which are not protected with a lining from the stomach. You can often feel nauseous when you’ve not eaten enough.